Crowds are no fun, for problems multiply as the square of your numbers.

It sounds like fun at first, all the gang planning a trail ride together. A neat idea, sociable as can be

Forget it. By the end of the day vou'll be mad at half the guys, or they'll be mad at you.

Somehow or other, a bunch of trail riders never can get all their bikes underway at the same time. Once underway, they don't all keep up the pace, tackle the obstacles, follow the route, with equal ability.

Start, stop, go back for laggards, go for gas. lend a tool, tow out a breakdown, have a smoke, your ride becomes a slow motion caravan full of trustration.

So you're a good guy, and you don't think you'll mind waiting up, you'll tolerate the delays. But, after the tenth stop you'll get a bit edgy about it. And, maybe you're the guy the others will be waiting for. Sort of an embarrassment holding up the day's fun, isn't it?

Too many riders spoil the ride. Three are ideal, . four are acceptable, five are the limit. Five good men, reasonably well prepared, can fieure on only a half dozen unplanned stops in a day's ride, not too much strain on everyone's good nature.

The only place a bigger crowd can ride together is in organized enduros, where each has a route card to follow, and nobody is expecled to wait for anyone else.

So, if you must ride in large groups, break it up.

Separate into comparable ability small groups, and give each a leader who knows where you're going. You'll all have a better ride.

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In trail riding, three may not be a crowd, but more than five sure is.